1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manifold-connecting mechanism which makes it possible to easily connect manifolds without using any attachment rail or the like. Elements such as solenoid-operated valves are attached to the manifold.
2. Description of the Related Art
A manifold having fluid passages and fluid ports for communicating with a plurality of ports of a solenoid-operated valve has hitherto been used. The manifold supplies/discharges the pressure fluid to/from the inside of the solenoid-operated valve via the fluid passages and the like.
In general, when a plurality of manifolds are arranged in parallel, the manifolds are attached to a rail member by supporting both sides of the linear rail member with pawls provided on recesses of the respective manifolds. When another manifold is arranged at an adjacent position of the manifold, then the other manifold is fixed to a rail member by the pawls at the adjacent position in the same manner as described above.
That is, a plurality of manifolds are arranged in parallel along the linear rail member.
In the conventional manifold-connecting mechanism, it is necessary that the length of the rail member is set depending on the number of manifolds to be connected, because the plurality of manifolds are connected by the linear rail member. Therefore, for example, when the number of manifolds is increased, it is necessary to replace the rail member with another rail member having an entire length corresponding to the increase of the manifold or manifolds.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a manifold-connecting mechanism which makes it possible to connect a plurality of manifolds easily without using any attachment rail member.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.